Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Beloperone guttata Brandegeeana

Shrimp Plant / Justicia brandegeeana

14 Sep 2011 173
Not sure what this tropical plant is called - just done a very quick search, but it will have to wait till later, as I have my volunteer shift to go to this afternoon. Photographed in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo on September 10th. Lol, decided to check my own photostream to see if I had posted a photo of this plant before - and I had, so now I know what it's called. "Justicia brandegeeana (Mexican Shrimp Plant or Shrimp Plant; syn. Beloperone guttata Brandeg.) is an evergreen perennial shrub in the genus Justicia, native to Mexico. It grows to 1 m tall (rarely more) with spindly limbs. The leaves are oval, green, 3-7.5 cm long. The flowers are white, extending from red bracts which look a bit like a shrimp, hence the shrub's common name, shrimp flower. The species is named after the American botanist Townshend Stith Brandegee (1843-1925); the scientific name is commonly seen mis-spelled "brandegeana". From Wikipedia.